Pipe-organ



4 Modem 8 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

P. WIRSGHING.

PIPE ORGAN.

Patented May 1, 1894. 4

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. P. WIRSCHING.

PIPE ORGAN.

Patented May 1 Li Ill UNITED STATES PATENT Orrics.

PHILIPP VVIRSCI-IING, OF SALEM, OHIO.

PIPE-ORGAN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 518,980, dated May 1, 1894.

Application filed August 21, 1 893.

To all whom it may concern:

l 3e it known that I, PHILIPP WIRscHmG, a cltizen of the United States, residing at Salem, 1n the county of Oolumbiana and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pipe-Organs; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and enact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to certain new and useful lmprovements in pipe organs and has for its object the construction of an instrument wherein the mechanical devices, their ad ustment, the workmanship, and material are all designed, arranged, and adapted to insure prompt, noiseless, and easy action of the parts with perfect accord and a harmonious voicing of the pipes.

To these ends my invention consists particularly in a Weighted, gravitating pneumatic located within a wind-chest and suspended from the top thereof; also in a tripart sound or pipe board having formed therein exhaust channels each provided with a series of enlargements or pockets in direct communication with the interior of said pneumatics; also in the general construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described,-and definitely pointed out in the claims following, due reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1, is a plan view of a section of my improved wind-chest, with the pipe or topboard broken away, exposing several of a series of exhaust channels formedin the latter; Fig. 2, a side view of said chest and of its tripart pipe or top board, with front board re moved. Fig. 3, represents a vertical longi-' tudinal section on the line 33 Fig. 1; Fig. 4 a similar transverse view taken on the line 4 4 Fig. 1, and Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a weighted gravitating pneumatic or valve, detached.

Reference being had to the drawings and letters thereon A indicates a wind-chest preferably rectangular in form and divided into a series of independent longitudinal channels B separated from each other by parallel rails or partitions O. Said partitions being perfora ted by a series of vertical wind-ducts at equal Serial No. 483,650- (No model.)

in number to the pipes in a given stop, and each having an angular inlet or supply end 1) opening into their respective channels B, for a purpose that will hereinafter appear.

Crossing one end of the wind-chestAtransversely, in a plane above that of channel B is an air tight compartment or chamber D, same being in communication with the bellows of the organ through the medium of an ordinary wind-tru nk (not shown) and adapted to communicate also with each of the longitudinal channels B through valve-throats 0 formed in its base.

Within the chamber D is located a series of vertically reciprocatingstop-valves d guarding the valve-throats c; said valves each being mounted on a valve-stem e finding a bearing f in the perforated supporting arms or strip E above, and a bearing below in the bracket F secured to the bottom of the windchest A and carefully packed as at g for the purpose of preventing an escape of air. Passing through its bracket F the lower extremity of valve-stem e is journaled upon a springpressed lever G fulcrumed at h and adapted to be elevated or depressed by operation of a draw-stop and its connecting rod 4; acting against the spring the tendency of which is to keep valve d normally seated.

As a means of closing in an air tight manner the bottom of channels B, longitudinal strips or lids H are provided, one being hinged to each of the partitions O as at k, the free edge of said hinged bottom being secured by screws to the adjacent partition, thus alfording ready access to channels B from below when desired; while the opposite or top of said channels are closed by a tri-part sound or pipe-board which will now be particularly described.

Resting directly upon and secured to the upper edges of the wind-chest A is the bottom or base board I perforated as at J, and K, the former perforations corresponding in position and number with the wind-ducts a and the latter intermediate perforations opening into pneumatics in the longitudinal channels B.

Above the base-board I is located a second 7 or channel board L glued or otherwise tightly secured to said base board with its grain arranged transversely thereto for the purpose ICO of preventing warping; while in the upper surface of board L crossing same at right augles from side to side, are cut grooves or exhaust channels M, each provided with a series of pockets or enlargements N opening into perforations K of the base board,and at points midway between said pockets, this board L is broken by apertures Z, communicating with the similar apertures J in the base-board I below, all for the purpose that will hereinafter appear.

Above the last described board L is snugly secured in like manner, an uppermost or pipe-board 0 corresponding in dimensions with parts I and L, and like them perforated as at P, such perforations being countersunk at their upper ends as at m for the reception of pipes Q, and at their lower ends registering and communicating with openings Z, J,in the channel and base boards respectively, as also with the vertical wind-ducts a in rails or partitions 0 thus establishing communication between the pipes Q, and channels 13 of the wind-chest.

At a convenient position with relation to wind chest A, preferably at the front side thereof, is located an air tight pallet-box or compartment R similar to that marked D and for a similar purpose, both being supplied with compressed air from a common source. Through the base of pallet-box R extends a series of valve-throats n in each of which is located a downwardly extending valve-stem o constituting part of a double poppet valve, having a pallet 13 above and a similar pallet q below said throat as shown by Fig. 4. \Vhile communication is established between each of the exhaust channels M and the pallet-box R by means of separate wind-ways S, the double puppet valve 19 q servmg to control such communication. To valve stem 0 is attached a lever of the first class r fulcrumed at s and spring-pressed as at If, so as to normally hold pallet 19 in an elevated position as shown; said lever however, adapted to be rocked upon its fulcrum s through the agency of dependent connection it and key-rod n which latter is thrust forward or withdrawn by a touch of its particular key of the instrument.

T represents a pneumatic, of which there are a series located in each of the channels B, consisting of fixed and movable members or boards U, V, joined by a hinge connection to as will be seen by an inspection of Fig. 5; the former boards U being permanently secured to the under side of base board I and apertured as at w for the purpose of establishing communication between exhaust channels M and the interior of the pneumatics. The movable end of board V has secured therein suitable weights y y such as metallic rivets for the purpose of assisting gravitation of said outer end of this movable board, while from the lower center of board V, also at its outer end projects a dependent arm lV terminating in a carefully adjusted pallet z or other suitable valve, for guarding the supply ends I) of the wind-duets a, in which connection it will be observed said pallets when withdrawn from their seated or closed position move in an arc of a true circle centered at the hinge w.

This being substantially the construction and arrangement of my invention I will now proceed to describe its use and operation for the purposes of which description it will be understood that the compartments D and R stand normally filled with compressed air, from a common source of supply, and of the same density in each; also that valves cl in the former compartment are retained normally closed by action of springs j, and intermediate mechanism, while valves 1) are in like manner held normally open as shown by Fig. 4: of the drawings. In this position it is apparent that compressed air from the box or compartment R is distributed among all of the exhaust channels M and from them enters the pneumatics 1 through the communicating apertures K, thus inflating the pneumatics and acting in conjunction with their weights 9 y to lower arms \V and firmly seat pallets closing wind-ducts a at their supply end I). If new it is desired that one or more of the pipes in a given stop, as for instance that illustrated by Fig. 3, shall speak, it is necessary first that compressed air be admitted to that particular channel B, this being accomplished as follows: The proper stop having been drawn, by hand of the organist, operates through rodt' to depress the outer end of lever G and through it elevate valve-stem 6 thus raising stop-valve (Z permitting compressed air from compartment D to rush through valve throat c and instantly fill channel B. Still the pipes are silent and will remain so until one or more of the wind-ducts a are opened to action of the compressed air within said channel B.

At this point, a touch of one or several keys in the manual, corresponding with as many pipes in the particular stop under consideration, serves through the medium of a rod n, lever r, and valve-stem o; to lower valve-pal let p and simultaneously therewith the pallet q, with the effect of cutting off the supply of compressed air to channels M, and permitting an escape of that already in said channels, by opening to the atmosphere the lower end of valve-throat n. The compressed air having been in this manner extracted from all pneumatics which are in communication with the one or more exhaust-channels M thus having been operated upon, said pneumatics are free to collapse, and those Within channels 13 to which the compressed air has been admitted as above described, do actually collapse under the upward pressure of air in said channel, with the eifect of withdrawing pallets e' from the wind-ducts a into which wind instantly rushes and the pipes communicating with such ducts promptly speak in full rich tones.

By way of recapitulation and referring particularly to Fig. 1, it will be observed; it valve d the first from bottom of said figure has been lifted by withdrawal of its proper stop; and, corresponding channel B the first from bottom of said figure, thereby charged with compressed air;andif further, by action of a given manual key and its valvep q, air has been exhausted from the first of channels Mreading from the left of Fig. 1,--it is obvious then that the pipe only, which comnunicates with said first channel B at a point immediately below said first exhaust-channel M will speak, the rest remaining silent. In like manner several or all of'the channels B may be charged with compressed air, and the compressed air extracted as described from a number of the exhaust channels M when it is desired that several or more of the pipes shall speak. But until a channel or channels B shall first have been filled with compressed air none of the pipes are capable of emitting sound; and in fact even after the channels B are so filled said pipes will remain silent until the exhaust channels M are operated upon as described. Whereupon air is extracted from the interior of certain pneumaticsT and those pneumatics, which are located within a channel B to which compressed air has been admitted, collapse under the pressure and in so doing withdraw their pallets z-from the entrance b of pipe-duct a, when a portion of the air, until then confined in the channel 13, escapes through pipe or pipes Q its only source of outlet. It will be observed that this operation is materially facilitated by the pockets N formed in each of the exhaust channels M and communicating directly with the pneumatics T, which pockets perform a very important function, namely, that of receiving the first impact of air from said pneumatics when collapsed. Each pocket having an area about equal to that of its pneumatic T, the latter as a consequence collapses instantaneously, exhausting directly into the pocket N, except for which the compressed air would nnpact against the walls of'channels M. Especially is this so when several or all pneumatics on a particular channel are exhausted at the same time, the effect of such actionin absence of pockets N-being a comparatively sluggish movement of pallets z and a consequent unsatisfactory speaking of the pipes; while in contradistinction to this the arrangement of pockets N above described insures rapidity of repetition to a marked degree, and extreme lightness of touch, with great regularity and beauty of tone. Furthermore, by inspection of the draWings,Fig. 4 in particular, it will be seen that arm W of the pneumatics are so designed and arranged that the pallets a at their distal ends move in the arc of a circle having its center at 10, thus facilitating the opening and closing of windducts a as set forth; said operation being specially aided by weights y y, also forming an important factor of myinvention, and secured to the free end of pneumatics T; and similarly arm W being attached at the outer extremity of the bottom boards V exerts its weight to aid in keeping the entrance I) to wind-ducts a normally closed.

lhis being the construction and operation of my invention in its preferred form, it will be understood that many minor changes may be made and substituted for parts herein shown and described without in the least departing from the spirit of my invention. It is obvious also, that my improvements are equally well adapted to several instruments when used separately or combined, as for instance, the great-organ, the choir-organ, and the swell; as also the pedal organ or footkeys, which act on the larger pipes.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. As an article of manufacture, a gravitating pneumatic for pipe-organs, consisting of a fixed and movable member, the latter bearing a weight or weights and a dependent palletcarrying arm, substantially as described.

2. As an article of manufacture, a suspended pneu matic for pipe-organs, consisting of a fixed and movable member hinged together at one end, a weight or weights attached to said movable member at its opposite end, and a dependent pallet-carrying arm secured to and moving with said lower member of the pneumatic, substantially as described.

3. In a wind-chest for pipe-organs, a series of exhaust channels provided with pockets communicating with the interior of a corresponding series of pneumatics, and means whereby said pneumatics are inflated or collapsed through the agency of said channels, substantially as described.

4. In a wind-chest for pipe-organs, a series of exhaust channels provided with pockets communicating with the interior of a corresponding series of suspended pneumatics, a pallet-box for containing a supply of compressed air, and a series of key-actuated valves for controlling communication between the box and channels and between said channels and the atmosphere, substantially as described.

5. In a wind-chest for pipe-organs, a series of exhaust channels provided with pockets communicating with the interior of a corresponding series of suspended and gravitating pneumatics, a pallet-box for containing a supply of compressed air, a series of independent wind-ways connecting said box and channels, and key-actuated double puppet valves for admitting a supply of compressed air to the channels and exhausting it therefrom, substantially as described.

6. In a wind-chest for pipe-organs, the combination of a series of separate longitudinal channels each closed below by a hinged bot-. tom, and above by a tri-part sound or pipe board, a series of exhaust channels formed in the latter provided with pockets communicating with the interior of a corresponding valves for closing the entrance to said pipes, pocketed exhaust channels opening into the pneumatics, and key-actuated puppet valves for opening said last named channels to the 1 atmosphere, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I subscribe my signature in presence of two witnesses.

PHILIPP WIRSCHING.

actuated valves for regulating the flow of Witnesses: compressed air tosaid channe1s,musical pipes M. L. HOLE, communicatingwith the latter, pneumatic XV. XV. HOLE. 

